Photo Gallery: Eastview boys vs. Lakeville North boys
Salmon's 20th goal of the season was the only goal in a contest that handed Lakeville North its first loss of the season.
"They came with a really good urgency on that corner kick, and we just defended it poorly — and they took advantage," Panthers coach Pete Tyma said.
With the victory, Eastview, ranked No. 5 in the Class 2A state coaches' poll, took command of the South Suburban Conference standings by improving to 7-0-0 for 21 points. The Lightning are now 12-1-0 this season.
No. 3-2A Lakeville North fell to 11-1-1 overall and 5-1-1 in the South Suburban Conference.
Eastview coach Scott Gustafson said the early goal helped settle his team.
"Any time you play a well-coached team like Lakeville North, which is so solid front-to-back, when you can get an early goal it makes them 'chase the game' a little bit," he said. "When you get another team chasing the game, it opens up the game a little bit and creates channels for us to fit the ball into. And the biggest thing is that the early goal instills confidence."
It helps to have a goal-scorer like Salmon, a senior who was first-team all-state in 2018. Salmon, who plans to play at Case Western Reserve University located in suburban Cleveland next fall, said the key to scoring goals is simply to "get open."
"Anyone can score a lot of goals if you're at the right spot at the right time," he said. "I like to think of myself as a player who's quick and able to get open."
But the Lightning is far from a one-man team, something Gustafson said Salmon understands.
"Jacob recognizes that he couldn't be in that position without great teammates that do the work behind him," Gustafson said. "Even though he's on the front page, he realizes his teammates are behind him creating those opportunities."
One of those teammates is Iyer, who normally plays in the midfield for the Lightning but switched to defense for this contest.
"We always try to play through him," Salmon said of Iyer. "He's small and quick, and that's what you need: After he beats one player, that opens things up because the other side has to commit someone to him."
While Eastview's offense has been impressive, so has the defense. In particular senior goalkeeper Elliot Brown, who finished with 10 saves — "I thought he was their MVP in this game because he kept so many out of the net for them," Tyma said of Brown — posted his fifth consecutive clean sheet and ninth overall this season.
"Elliot has had an amazing season, and I'm so happy for him," Gustafson said. "But for a goalie to get stats like that, you have to have a team playing great defense in front of him."
Salmon agreed, adding, "Elliot is the rock that we need in goal. When we're in a battle with another team, he's there to back us up — even when the odds are that the other team is going to pound it in."
The victory gives Eastview a crucial leg up towards the South Suburban Conference title heading into another important contest against Shakopee.
Both sides agreed that if Lakeville North hopes to make its third consecutive state tournament appearance, the chances are good that the Panthers will get another shot at beating Eastview in Class 2A, Section 3.
"It's been a magical season — their goal in this game was just the third we have allowed this season," Tyma said. "Unfortunately it was the only goal they needed."